Your Questions,
Answered by
Kenya’s Architects

Yes. Under the Architects and Quantity Surveyors Act (Cap 525), architectural drawings submitted to any county government for building approval must be prepared and signed by an architect registered with the Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors (BORAQS). County planning departments will not accept plans signed by unregistered draughtsmen.

Building without approved drawings carries serious legal consequences: site closure, demolition orders by the county or NCA, escalating fines, and inability to transfer or mortgage your title deed. Even garden walls and semi-permanent structures require permits in most counties. There is no legal shortcut — the requirement applies to every structure that forms part of the permanent built environment.

All architects at Aalis Studios hold current BORAQS registration and active annual practising certificates, meaning every drawing we sign is legally valid for submission to any county government in Kenya.

An architect’s role spans the full life of a project. At Aalis Studios, our engagement typically covers:

• Design concept — floor plans, elevations, sections, and photorealistic 3D visualisations developed around your brief and budget
• Working drawings — fully detailed architectural and structural drawings ready for county submission and contractor use
• Regulatory management — county government, NEMA, and NCA approval processes handled on your behalf
• Bill of Quantities — QS-reviewed cost document for tendering and budget control
• Construction oversight — site inspections, contractor coordination, variation management, and quality control

Some clients engage Aalis Studios for the complete service; others commission design and approvals only. We scope each engagement to match your specific needs.

You can verify any architect’s registration directly on the BORAQS online register at boraqs.go.ke. A valid BORAQS registration number takes the format A/XXXX/YYYY. However, registration alone is not enough — always ask to see a current practising certificate, which must be renewed annually. An expired practising certificate means the architect cannot legally sign drawings for county submission, even if the registration number is genuine. Aalis Studios’ registration details are available to any client on request.

You do not need detailed plans — that is the architect’s job. However, the more clearly you can communicate the following, the more productive and cost-effective your design process will be:

• Land details — plot size, location, and a copy of your title deed or allotment letter
• Programme — number of bedrooms, desired rooms, specific functional needs (home office, DSQ, garage)
• Budget — a realistic total construction figure prevents designing a project you cannot fund
• Style preferences — reference images are one of the most efficient communication tools in early design
• Timeline — move-in date, funding milestones, or other schedule constraints

Yes. Aalis Studios works across all 47 counties in Kenya, including Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Thika, Kiambu, Machakos, Kajiado, and upcountry locations. We also serve clients building throughout East Africa. Our team has managed county approval processes in multiple jurisdictions and is familiar with county-specific planning requirements and setback regulations. For projects outside Nairobi, we combine remote design collaboration with scheduled site inspections at critical construction milestones.

Architectural fees in Kenya are governed by Cap 525 and are typically structured as a percentage of construction cost, a fixed lump sum, or an hourly rate. For residential projects, full-service fees (design, approvals, and construction oversight) generally range between 6% and 10% of the anticipated construction value. For a KES 8M build, this equates to approximately KES 500,000 to KES 800,000.

A critical point: an unregistered draughtsman who charges significantly less cannot legally sign your drawings or manage your approvals — creating regulatory exposure and legal risks that cost far more to resolve than the fee saved. Aalis Studios issues a detailed fee proposal after the initial consultation so you know the full scope and cost before committing.

Architectural fees are always paid in stages, tied to project milestones. At Aalis Studios, the standard payment structure follows these phases:

• Inception retainer — on signing of appointment letter
• Concept design — on presentation of floor plans and 3D visualisations
• Working drawings — on completion of architectural and structural drawings
• Approval submission — on submission to county government, NEMA, and NCA
• Construction stage — monthly or milestone-based during construction oversight

This structure aligns your payments with deliverables, giving you clear checkpoints and full transparency at every stage.

Many of these services are coordinated under Aalis Studios’ full-service package, eliminating the need for clients to manage multiple consultants separately.

The full approval process involves three regulatory bodies and takes 60 to 120 days in total. Aalis Studios manages every step on behalf of clients:

The consequences are serious and legally permanent:

• Demolition orders — county governments and the NCA can order forced demolition of unapproved structures, with no compensation
• Criminal liability — building without permits is an offence under the Physical Planning Act and county by-laws
• Title complications — unapproved structures cannot be legally registered, mortgaged, or transferred on title
• Insurance void — structures without permits may be uninsurable or claims may be rejected
• Retrospective approval — possible in some counties but expensive, uncertain, and may require demolition and reconstruction of non-compliant elements

You will need: a title deed or allotment letter, an official land search dated within 3 months, a survey plan from Survey of Kenya showing plot boundaries, a National ID or passport of the registered owner(s), and a PIN certificate for fee payment. Your architect then prepares and submits all architectural and structural drawings. Aalis Studios verifies all documents before submission to avoid delays caused by incomplete applications.

From brief to handover, a residential project in Kenya takes 18 to 30 months. The three main phases are:

• Design development — 4 to 8 weeks (concept through to completed working drawings)
• Regulatory approvals — 2 to 4 months (county, NEMA, NCA)
• Construction — 8 to 18 months depending on house type, complexity, and funding continuity

A compact 3-bedroom bungalow with continuous funding can be completed in as little as 8 months on site. A large 4-bedroom maisonette with premium finishes typically takes 14 to 18 months. Projects funded in phases take proportionally longer. Aalis Studios prepares a detailed programme of works at the start of every project.

A Bill of Quantities (BOQ) is a detailed cost document prepared by a Quantity Surveyor that lists every element of a construction project — materials, labour, fittings, and finishes — with quantities and unit rates, giving you an itemised budget for the entire build. It serves three critical purposes:

• Budget accuracy — a QS-reviewed BOQ is far more reliable than a contractor’s verbal estimate
• Competitive tendering — you can send the BOQ to multiple contractors and compare like-for-like quotes
• Construction cost control — the BOQ is the reference document for managing variations and claims during construction

A BOQ is strongly recommended for any residential project above KES 3 million. Aalis Studios includes a QS-reviewed BOQ as part of our full-service design packages, or it can be commissioned as a standalone service.

Both. Aalis Studios is registered with the National Construction Authority (NCA) as a construction management firm, meaning we can manage the full build from design through to occupancy certificate. Our construction services cover contractor selection and tendering, site supervision, quality control, payment certification, and programme monitoring. Clients who prefer to manage their own contractor are equally welcome to engage us for design and approvals only — we advise honestly on which approach best suits the specific project and client situation.

Yes — and at Aalis Studios, photorealistic 3D architectural visualisations are a standard part of the design process for all residential projects. These include exterior renders from multiple angles, interior renders of key spaces, and — on request — animated walkthroughs. They are produced after the design concept is developed and before working drawings begin, giving you a clear visualisation of the finished project and the opportunity to request changes before any construction money is committed. Standalone 3D services are also available for clients with existing drawings.

Architecture addresses the building as a whole: its structure, form, layout, building envelope, systems, and regulatory compliance. The architect defines where walls go, where light enters, how spaces connect, and how the building looks and performs inside and out.

Interior design works within the envelope the architect defines, focused on the spatial experience of each room: finish materials, furniture layout, lighting design, colour palettes, window treatments, built-in joinery, and decorative elements. When both are provided by the same firm — as at Aalis Studios — architecture and interior design are developed simultaneously from day one, producing results that are more cohesive than when separate firms are engaged sequentially.

These are design fees only. Furniture, finishes, and fit-out works are separate. A detailed fee proposal is issued by Aalis Studios after an initial brief at no charge.

We do not impose a house style. Our design approach is brief-led — every project reflects the client’s taste, lifestyle, and the character of the site. Our portfolio spans contemporary minimalist homes, warm transitional interiors, Afro-modern spaces that incorporate local materials and craft traditions, high-gloss luxury apartments, and nature-connected homes with strong indoor-outdoor connections. We work across the full spectrum of residential and commercial interior design, and regularly produce work that sits at the intersection of international design standards and distinctly Kenyan spatial culture.

Yes — and Aalis Studios does this routinely for clients in the UK, United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, UAE, and across the broader Kenyan diaspora. Building in Kenya from abroad is entirely achievable with the right professional team on the ground. Our diaspora programme provides:

• Remote design consultation — video briefings and reviews across all time zones
• Weekly site reports — detailed photographic and video evidence of progress on site
• Milestone-based payment certification — no payment recommended until verified works are complete
• Full regulatory management — county, NEMA, and NCA handled without requiring client presence
• Defects liability period — post-handover quality assurance

Several Aalis Studios clients have never visited their site during construction. The results stand as testament to what a competent professional team on the ground can achieve.

The most common risks diaspora clients face include funds misappropriation, substandard construction hidden until occupation, unauthorised design modifications, extended delays, and regulatory non-compliance. At Aalis Studios, every one of these is addressed directly:

• Funds — milestone-based payment certification means no payment is recommended without verified works on site
• Quality — regular independent site inspections with photographic records at every stage of construction
• Design integrity — all changes go through the architect; no contractor modifications are authorised without written approval
• Schedule — detailed programme of works with monthly variance reporting
• Compliance — full regulatory management including county inspections and NCA compliance certificates

Most documents can be handled remotely via a Kenyan-recognised Power of Attorney, allowing Aalis Studios or a nominated representative to sign on your behalf. Construction contracts, county correspondence, and regulatory submissions can all be handled this way. For land purchase transactions, either your physical presence or a notarised Power of Attorney is required. We advise clients clearly at the project inception stage on exactly which documents require physical presence — so any necessary travel can be planned well in advance.

Choosing the right architect is one of the most consequential decisions in any building project. The wrong choice costs far more than the fee difference. Here are the eight criteria that genuinely separate excellent firms from the rest — and what Aalis Studios delivers on every one of them.

Before signing any architectural appointment, ask these questions directly and judge the quality of the answers — not just whether an answer was given:

• Can I see your current BORAQS practising certificate? — not just the registration certificate; the annual certificate confirms they are legally authorised to practice right now
• Can I see completed projects similar to mine? — photos of built work, not only renders
• Who exactly will be working on my project? — clarify whether the principal architect leads the work or whether it is delegated to junior staff
• What does your fee cover, stage by stage? — get this in writing before signing
• Do you manage county, NEMA, and NCA approvals? — some firms charge separately for this or do not offer it at all
• How do you handle variations during construction? — the answer reveals how cost-transparent the firm is
• Can you provide references from past clients? — a confident firm will offer these without hesitation

At Aalis Studios, we welcome every one of these questions in the initial consultation and provide written answers where appropriate. Transparency at the outset is the foundation of a successful project.

Several things, but the four that clients consistently cite are:

• Integrated design-to-delivery — architecture, interior design, approvals, and NCA-registered construction management are all available under one roof, eliminating the coordination failures that come from fragmented consultants
• The diaspora programme — a structured, proven system for building in Kenya from abroad, with milestone-based payment controls and weekly site reporting that gives remote clients the same oversight as if they were next door to the site
• 3D visualisation as standard — every residential client sees photorealistic renders of their home before working drawings are finalised, so design decisions are made with full visual clarity rather than from abstract floor plans
• Accountability by design — written fee proposals, milestone-tied payments, and a single dedicated project lead mean our clients always know exactly where their project stands and what happens next